Thank You, Captain
by Diane Klepper
Summary: Someone says thank you to Captain Janeway after Voyager returns home


Thank You, Captain  
  
By Diane Klepper (Author's Note: Set during the seventh season right after Voyager gets home.)  
  
"Wah..Wah..Wah." B'Elanna groaned. "Tom get the baby."  
  
Tom sleepily said, "What?"  
  
"Tom..Miral is awake again. It's your turn to get her." Miral continued to cry. Tom groaned and sat up. "Daddy's coming, sweetheart."  
  
Tom put his blue robe over his undershirt and shorts and then put on his slippers. He then walked over to the cradle and picked up his crying daughter. Miral wiggled in his arms and continued to cry.  
  
B'Elanna frowned, "She's been cranky all day. Tom take her for a walk or something...I need to get some sleep. Tomorrow I am taking a whole bunch of Admirals on a tour of Voyager's engine room before we leave the ship." Miral had quieted down and Tom walked to the bed. "B'Elanna are you sure your okay at staying with my parents. We can still take one of the apartments Starfleet has set aside for the crew."  
  
B'Elanna sat up. "No.I want Miral to get to know her grandparents. Besides your mother has rooms all set up for us and the baby. " Tom smiled. "I bet my Mom had all the old baby furniture out of the attic five minutes after Dad told her we were back".  
  
"Wah.Wah...Wah." Tom kissed BElanna on the lips. "I think I'll take her to the messhall and give Miral her bottle there. We'll see you later." Tom went out into the hallway holding Miral in his arms. "You know sweetheart I hope you sleep through the night soon. Your Mommy gets really cranky when she doesn't get enough sleep. It's a Klingon thing but don't tell your Mother I said that. That will be our little secret Miral." Tom stopped in front of the turbolift. "Sweetheart I can't wait to show you Earth. It's a beautiful planet. I'll take you and Mommy all over the planet. I think we will skip New Zealand.too many bed memories there."  
  
The door opened and Tom walked in and saw Harry Kim. Tom smiled at his friend. "Hey Harry what are you still doing up? I thought you would be asleep dreaming about your Mom's apple pie."  
  
Harry smiled at Tom. "I don't have to dream about it anymore. My Mom has one already for me. What are you still doing up?" "B'Elanna had to get some sleep so I'm taking Miral to the messhall. Want to come along?"  
  
"The Delaney sisters invited me to a farewell party at Fairhaven. If you rather have some company I could skip the party." Tom smiled. "No you have fun.I'll see you tomorrow." The turbolift door opened and Tom exited and walked into the messhall. The door opened and Tom was surprised to see the lights on. He scanned the room and saw Captain Janeway sitting at a table scanning a padd and drinking a cup of coffee. "Captain."  
  
Janeway looked up and saw Tom standing there holding the baby. "Hello Tom. What are you doing here?"  
  
"B'Elanna needed to get some sleep so I decided to give Miral her bottle here." Kathryn Janeway smiled. "Let me hold her while you replicate her bottle." Tom smiled at her. "Come on Miral Kathryn lets go to your godmother." He put Miral in Janeway's arms and walked to the replicator. "Miral Formula 1" and a bottle appeared. Tom walked back to the Captain's table. Janeway was cooing at the baby. She smiled at Tom. "Let me feed her."  
  
"Sure, Captain."  
  
Tom watched as Kathryn Janeway fed his daughter and smiled. "You know Captain, you're good with her. Maybe you should think about having one of your own." "For the last 7 years I felt like the entire Voyager crew was my children. I think I've done enough child- raising to last a lifetime. Don't you agree Mr. Paris?" "Yes, Ma'am. You know I look at her and I still can't believe she's mine. I keep thinking I'm going to wake up in Auckland and find out that the last seven years was a dream."  
  
"Tom you know the hearing next week is just a formality. Your father talked to the review board himself. Your work on Voyager over the past seven years has proven to everyone that you are not the same brash young men you were when you left Earth. Chakotay, Tuvok and I wrote reports praising your work on Voyager. Tuvok told me that it would be illogical for Starfleet command to not to reinstate you and lose your many fascinating qualities." "Wow for a Vulcan that is practically a compliment." "Tom you may have started on Voyager as an observer but you earned the respect of your crewmates."  
  
"Even after the Monean incident?"  
  
Janeway smiled at him. "I think you work since then has proven that it was just one incident. I meant it Tom when I said you did earn back your rank. I talked to your father early this evening. He told me that your Mother and sisters are really excited about meeting B'Elanna and Miral."  
  
Tom smiled. "I know. I talked to him this morning and he told me that my Mom has my old room fixed for Miral and that Moira and Kathleen have hit every baby store in San Francisco."  
  
Janeway looked down at Miral who was drinking her bottle. "Well young lady it looks like your family can't wait to meet you." Janeway looked up at Tom and saw him staring into space.  
  
"Tom?" Tom looked at his Captain. "Captain I just wanted to thank you." "Thank me?"  
  
"Captain come on.you know what my life was like before Voyager. I was cashiered out of Starfleet and I was in prison. Everyone gave up on me. My father told me that I was an embarrassment to the Paris name." "Tom."  
  
"He was right.I was an embarrassment. I lied to try to protect the family name but I couldn't live with the guilt."  
  
"Tom you made a mistake?" "I know and then I compounded the mistake by joining the Maquis. I never even believed in their cause.I just had to fly again. Every time I went on a job interview they asked me why I left Starfleet. As soon as the words Caldik Prime came up I was told that the job had been filled. The day you came to see me in prison I was so angry at the world. I blamed Starfleet and my father for all my mistakes. I never thought you'd take me on your mission." Tom smiled. "Then when you told me I would only be an observer." Janeway smiled. "That's when you told me you were the best pilot I could have. I came so close to just walking away and leaving you in prison." "In prison you have to act tough to survive. I wanted to go with you so bad but I couldn't let you know that. When Harry went into that alternate universe, did he tell you where he found my alternate self?" "In Harry's report he told me your alternate self helped him get back to his original timeline and he got killed in the process."  
  
Tom frowned. "What Mr. Kim didn't tell you was that he found me at Sandrine. I was a drunk and a gambler. At first I didn't want to help him but somehow Harry got through to me.He convinced me that I had a better life in his timeline and I so wanted him to be right."  
  
"Tom that timeline didn't happen."  
  
"I know but it could of happened. If it wasn't for Voyager getting trapped in the Delta Quadrant I would of become a drunken bum. Even if I got released after the mission nobody would of let me fly again. But you gave me a second chance." Janeway glanced at Miral who was contenting sucking on her bottle and she looked at Tom and smiled. "Tom I had to do something with you. We were 70 years from Earth and you are our best pilot. I couldn't stick you in the kitchen and have you peel Leola root for Neelix for 70 years." Tom smiled. "I know that. But you didn't have to give me back my rank. Captain you didn't have to make me an officer and the chief helmsman. You could of made me a crewman and had me fly the ship in the middle of the night in open space when there is nothing to hit. Captain you trusted me when nobody else did. I don't even think I would of trusted myself back then."  
  
"Tom you proved to me you could be trusted from you behavior during the Caretaker's incident. I've never regretted that decision." Janeway smiled. "I think one of things I'm most proud of is watching you grow into the officer and the man I knew you could always be."  
  
Tom looked at Janeway and smiled. "Captain I don't know what to say?" "That's the second time you told me that." She looked down at Miral and saw her sleeping and handed her over to Tom. "I think it's time my goddaughter got back to bed."  
  
"Yes ma'am." Janeway stood up and touched Tom on the shoulder. "I expect you to keep up the good work Mr. Paris. BE'lanna and Miral need you." Tom stood up holding his daughter close to his heart. "Yes ma'am." Janeway smiled. "I am going to keep close tabs on my goddaughter. If she is not happy you are going to have to answer to me. Is that clear Lieutenant?" Tom smiled. "As a bell ma'am."  
  
"I'll see you tomorrow Tom."  
  
"Yes Captain.and Captain thank you. Thank you for my life." He then gestured to Miral. "Thank you for my little girl." Kathryn Janeway kissed Tom on the cheek. "Your welcome Tom." Tom watched Janeway leave the messhall and Miral started to cry. Tom smiled at his daughter. "Don't worry sweetheart your godmother will be a big part of your life. Your Mommy and I will make sure of that." 


End file.
